Things to Do in Pattaya

Choose from 9 Fun Things to Do in Pattaya

Intricately sculpted knot gardens create a world of beauty at the Nong Nooch Tropical Garden. Elephant and Thai cultural shows are held in these lovely botanical gardens, which include notable collections of palms and orchids. The elephants play football and basketball, and Thai dancers and actors re-enact historical events and Muay Thai boxing.

A resort adjoins the 240-hectare (600-acre) gardens, so if you run out of time you can easily spend the night here. There’s also a range of different cuisines to choose from at several restaurants.

Practical Info

The Nong Nooch Tropical Garden is a 25-minute taxi or minibus ride south of Pattaya.

Opened in 1985, Pattaya’s Mini Siam features almost 100 miniature models of iconic landmarks and sites from across the the world, built on a scale of 1:25.

The attraction is divided into two areas to represent Asia and the rest of the world. Landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe in Paris are divided by small waterways representing the world’s oceans, where Beijing’s Temple of Heaven and the domes of St. Petersburg’s Church sit between the Sydney Opera House and New York’s Statue of Liberty.

Mini Siam not only takes visitors around the world, but also on a journey through Thailand’s rich history, from the ancient Kingdoms of Lanna, to modern infrastructures such as the Hualamphong Train Station in Bangkok. Of course, popular Buddhist sites such as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha also take pride of place.

Practical Info

Mini Siam is located on the eastern side of Sukhumvit Road, directly opposite the Bangkok Pattaya Hospital. The entrance road to Mini Siam also leads to the Siam Karting go-kart track.

Koh Talu is a privately-owned island in the Gulf of Thailand. It’s around a 30-minute boat ride from the mainland town of Bangsaphan, and approximately three hours from Hau Hin. The island is a popular day trip due to its pristine beaches lined with palm trees, crystal-clear waters, and tropical wilderness inland.

Koh Talu’s shallow waters are ideal for snorkeling, and it’s the closest place to Hua Hin for scuba diving, with reasonable depths and good visibility. Further inland, a wild tropical rainforest covers the landscape of the island, with some fantastic opportunities for trekking. There is only one resort on the island, and it offers activities such as mountain biking, kayaking, and sailing in addition to beach and garden bungalow accommodation.

Koh Talu is also home to a sea turtle conservation programme, where turtle eggs are harvested and nurtured before being released into the ocean when they’re nine months old.

Practical Info

Full and half-day trips to Koh Talu can be arranged from either Hua Hin or Bangsaphan. If looking for a quiet escape, avoid visiting the island at the weekend when it can become exceptionally busy.

Get ready to get wet and cool off at Pattaya Water Park. Multiple giant water slides zigzag and spill into the water, and the winding whirlpool is the perfect place for a more relaxing glide through the surf.

There are tube rides for younger kids, shade huts for relaxing and a choice of swimming pools. The water park is circled by a wild roller coaster and amusement park with its plunging Tower Shot ride and Sky Shuttle.

While you’re here, take the lift to the 54th floor of the resort for fabulous views and a buffet lunch at the revolving restaurant.

Pattaya Water Park is 5 km (3 miles) south of Pattaya in Jomtien, a 10-minute trip by car, taxi or minibus.

The Bang Saen Aquarium / Institute of Marine Science is housed within Burapha University at Bang Saen Beach in Chonburi. The institute is divided into three sections; the marine science museum, the aquarium, and a research laboratory. The center exists both for research purposes and as a place for students and visitors to learn about marine science.

The museum is creatively arranged, featuring exhibitions on marine preservation and restoration, with information on ecology and examples of stuffed sea animals. As you might expect, the aquarium is the main place to view various live fish, with a tunnel revealing the big fish and a high tank showcasing swarms of smaller fish. It’s a modern aquarium with a real underwater environment divided into different ocean zones. Elsewhere, the laboratory is the main research center that allows the institute to make new discoveries about marine life.

A trip to the Bang Saen Aquarium can be combined with visiting other sights and attractions in the area on a half-day Pattaya discovery tour, including ‘Monkey Cliff’ plus Ang Sila, a small fishing community famous for its oyster farms and stonemason villages.

Insider’s Tip: Divers feed the giant groupers in the aquarium every day at 2:30pm, with an additional feeding time of 10:30am on weekends and public holidays.

Practical Info

If not arriving as part of an organized tour, you can reach Bang Saen Aquarium by hiring a motorbike or taxi and heading along Highway No.3 until you reach Bang Saen. The institute is within the Burapha University compound on Long Had Bang Sean Road.

With crystal clear water and interminable stretches of fine white sand, Thailand’s Coral Island, or Koh Larn (Koh Lan), is paradise personified. About 4.5 miles (7 km) off the coast of Pattaya, Coral Island is a perfect day trip destination and a mecca for lovers of water sports, scuba diving, and snorkeling.

Popular Coral Island Activities & Things to Do

Coral Island caters to both island adventurers and those looking to relax. Take a glass-bottom boat ride to marvel at colorful fish, sea urchins, parrotfish, and sea sponges in the underwater world; kick things up a notch with a banana boat ride or parasailing experience; or simply sink your toes into the sand, enjoy a buffet lunch of freshly caught seafood, and work on getting the perfect sun tan.

How to Visit With Viator

Whether it’s to energize or exhilarate, Coral Island caters to the needs of every type of traveler. The majority of Coral Island tours depart from Pattaya Beach’s South Pier—the journey takes 15 minutes by speedboat. Tours typically include pickup from Pattaya hotels and a tour guide, as well as plenty of free time to explore Koh Larn’s six main golden beaches, all of which are flanked by seafood restaurants and offer opportunities for beach activities such as parasailing, water-skiing, and scuba diving in the green-blue waters. Opt for a private tour for the full experience.

Insider Tip

Before leaving Pattaya in favor of Coral Island’s blissful serenity, consider taking a city tour that stops by the Pattaya Floating Market, a visual feast of boats swelling with exotic produce, and the Nong Nooch Tropical Garden, one of the city’s most popular attractions.

What Brings People to Coral Island

Travelers to Southeast Asia flock to these beautiful islands to escape the bustling crowds of mainland Thailand, recline on the white-sand beaches, and swim among a coral reef inhabited by diverse marine life. Although most tours are single-day options and beach bungalows on the island are more expensive than accommodations on the mainland, taking a Coral Island tour that includes an overnight stay allows you to take further advantage of the island’s idyllic beaches.

How to Get There

To get from Pattaya to Coral Island, you can only travel by boat. Therefore, you must first arrive in Pattaya city before heading out on a boat ride west to the island. Bangkok is about 90 miles (150 km) northwest of Pattaya Bay, and convenient transfer services are available from Bangkok hotels and the city’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. The journey to Pattaya takes approximately two hours by road.

Traditional market buildings perched on stilts over the water offer a refreshingly different place to shop at the Pattaya Floating Market. The thatched huts are filled with stalls selling Thai handicrafts, delicious street food, and souvenirs.

The Mud House Village and Old Market have joined the attractions here, along with a woodcarving museum, flower fair, and agricultural demonstrations.

Dance troupes dressed in traditional finery regularly perform at the floating market, along with shell dancers and sea boxers.

The 2.5-mile (4-kilometer) stretch of sand known as Pattaya Beach ranks among the area's liveliest beaches. The crescent-shaped coast remains lively day and night, with the party atmosphere of the bars and restaurants of Beach Road to one side and a host of water sports—wind surfing, jet skiing, parasailing, or banana boating—to the other. The popular beach also serves as a departure point for diving expeditions to Pattaya's offshore coral islands.

The Basics

While almost always busy, Pattaya Beach offers plenty of space and plenty to do, whether you prefer to lie out in the sun on a deck chair or get your adrenaline pumping with some form of aquatic adventure. The beach is divided into three zones; the northern end tends to be the quieter of the three, with things picking up through the central zone and into the south, where Pattaya's nightlife reaches its rowdy zenith.

Things to Know Before You Go

Pattaya Beach is a must for sun lovers and water sports enthusiasts.

Relax on the sand or try out one of numerous water sports available at the beach.

Don't forget to bring along a towel, sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat.

How to Get There

The nearest airport to Pattaya Beach is in U-Tapao, about 45 minutes outside of the city by road. Once in town, the beach is hard to miss. You can get there by local bus, taxi, or songthaew (a dark blue pickup truck converted into a bus).

When to Get There

Pattaya's tropical climate means just about any time is a good time to visit. The best weather falls between November and February, and this is also peak tourist season. Hot and humid weather from March to May makes cooling off at the beach an appealing idea. While the rainy season between June and October is the quietest time of year, heavy rainfall can put a damper on a day at the beach.

Other Beaches in Pattaya

Pattaya Beach is only one among many sandy escapes visitors have to choose from in this resort destination not far from Bangkok. Nearby Jomtien Beach is the place to go for windsurfing or kiteboarding lessons, while Naklua and Wong Amat beaches are better for swimming. Hop on a speed boat to offshore Coral Island to snorkel, parasail, or windsurf in the tranquil waters.

Take a breathtaking walk through see-through tunnels at Underwater World Pattaya, as sharks and rays glide overhead. This walk-through aquarium highlights the huge range of marine creatures found in Thai waters, from shallow rock-pool dwellers to coral reef and ocean fish.

In all, there are more than 2,500 sea creatures at this aquarium, representing more than 200 species.

Feeding time is specially spectacular, as the fish line up to be fed by their handlers. The marine creatures you’ll see here include otters, sharks, tropical reef fish, rays and moray eels.

Practical Info

Underwater World Pattaya is in South Pattaya, just south of central Pattaya on Sukhumvit.